23 March 2009

Cafe Napolitana

Café Napolitana is a small independent pizza shop Downtown that oversees a voluminous lunch business. I've walked past about 500 times after work shifts. After reading a short review in the Columbus Dispatch, I decided to try the place out for myself.

Proprietor Palmo Aracri mixes Old World traditions with a New World flair for a low key pizza place where the product truly exceeds expectations. Pizza is available whole or by-the-slice. Pizza is made New York (big, thin and floppy) or Sicilian (square and thick) style.

Pizza can be ordered by-the-slice with a choice of toppings. There are also pasta dishes, spinach calzones, cheese sticks and a cheese sandwich on the menu for the vegetarian-inclined diner.

I am not the biggest fan of New York-style pizza. Take this however you will in part because I'm a vegetarian. I'll wear my heart on my sleeve and say that in my opinion, coneys, New York pizza and Le Cirque are good, but Chicago dogs, stuffed crust pizza and Alinea are better. Now that my prejudices have been laid bare, I can say that Napolitana makes great pizza, my evident biases be damned.

The crust is thin and folds easily but has a slight crispness that adds extra dimensions to the texture. The sauce is tart, mild and delicately seasoned. The cheese is generously applied. The pizza was great, and at $5.50 for two slices, it was a delicious and economical lunch.

Café Napolitana has a limited delivery radius. They are open six days a week until 6 (M,Tu) or 7 (W-Sa) pm. These are clutch hours for Downtown. There is plenty of seating in the two dining rooms.